Laena hongkongica, Schawaller & Aston, 2017

Schawaller, Wolfgang & Aston, Paul, 2017, Two new species of the genus Laena Dejean (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae) from Hong Kong, Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 169-173 : 170-171

Laena hongkongica sp. n. ( Figs. 1, 5 )

Holotype (Ƌ): China, Hong Kong, Lion Rock, # 20 of 13–16.vii.2015, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, SMNS.

Paratypes: Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau , # 6 of 14.–17.vii.2015, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SMNS . Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau , # 4 of 14.–17.vii.2015, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SMNS . Hong Kong, Aberdeen Resevoir, # 37 of 29.VI.– 2.vii.2015, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SMNS . # 16 of 5–8.vi.2015, Pak Tam Chung, Hong Kong, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SYSU . # 3 of 14–17.vii.2015, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SYSU. # 15 of 13–16.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Lion Rock, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. SYSU . # 22 of 13–16.vii.2015, Lion Rock , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, pitfall trap, 1 ex. SYSU . # 15 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. AFCD . # 16 of 5–8.vi.2015, Pak Tam Chung , pitfall trap, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. AFCD . # 23 of 13–16.vii.2015, Lion Rock , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, pitfall trap, 1 ex. AFCD . # 2 of 13.xi.2014, Hong Kong University Campus , disturbed secondary forest, leg. B. Guénard, 1 ex. AFCD . # 13 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. PCPA . # 14 of 13– 16.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Lion Rock, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. PCPA . # 199 of 30.vi.–3.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Castle Peak, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. PCPA . # 20 of 5–8.vi.2015, Pak Tam Chung, Hong Kong, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. PCPA . # 12 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. BMNH . # 153 of 14.v.2015, Hong Kong, Sheung Wo Han , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. BMNH . # 10 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. BMNH . # 7 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo, 1 ex. BMNH .

Additional material (all deposited PCPA): # 35 of 29.vi.–2.vii.2015, Aberdeen Resevoir, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 7 of 22.vi.2009, Hong Kong, Ng Tung Chai, leg. P. Aston. # 16 of 13–16.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Lion Rock , Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 8 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 54 of Sunset Peak, Lantau, 3–6.vi.2015, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 57 of 3–6.vi.2015, Sunset Peak, Lantau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo. # 5 of 14–17.vii.2015, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo. # 19 of 5–8.vi.2015, Pak Tam Chung, Hong Kong, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 53 of 3–6.vi.2015, Sunset Peak, Lantau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo. Hong Kong, Ngau Ngak Shan ( Hgau Ngak Shan ) , 13.vi.2009, leg. Yiu Vor. # 3 of 22.iv.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. P. Aston. # 11 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau , Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 25 of 13–16.vii.2015, Lion Rock , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 55 of 3–6.vi.2015, Sunset Peak, Lantau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo. # 56 of 3–6.vi.2015, Sunset Peak, Lantau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo. # 21 of 13–16.vii.2015, Lion Rock , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 18 of 5–8.vi.2015, Pak Tam Chung, Hong Kong, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 9 of 14–17.vii.2015, Hong Kong, Tai Po Kau, Winkler extractor, leg. R. Ho Lee & Y . Luo. # 24 of 13–16.vii.2015, Lion Rock , leg. R. Ho Lee & Y. Luo.

Description: Body length 4.5–9.0 mm. Eyes slightly prominent. Pronotum with large, partly confluent punctures, distance 0.5–2 puncture diameters, most punctures with longer erect setae; surface feebly convex and shagreened, disc basally with longitudinal impression; lateral margins completely bordered; posterior corners prominent, nearly acute; propleura with similar but sparser punctuation as on pronotum, but without setation. Elytra ovate with rows of punctures without striae, punctures of rows of similar size as punctures on pronotum, most punctures with longer and erect setae; intervals with a row of fine punctures, each bearing an erect seta of equal length, interval 9 with 3 indistinct setiferous pores, internal intervals nearly flat, external intervals distinctly convex, intervals 5 and 7 somewhat higher; surface shagreened. Apex of elytra not prolonged. Anterior femora without, middle and posterior femora each with a large and acute tooth. Tibiae of both sexes without pecularities. Apicale of aedeagus see Fig. 5 .

Diagnosis: L. hongkongica sp. n. can be recognised by the pattern of femoral spines (anterior femora without, middle and posterior femora with spines). This is unique among the Chinese representatives of this genus. All other species with armed femora have either all femora with spines, or at least the anterior femora with spines and middle and posterior femora without spines. Additionally, the shape of pronotum with nearly acute posterior corners, as well as dorsal punctuation and setation are completely different from all other known species at least from eastern China. The aedeagal apicale of L. hongkongica sp. n. ( Fig. 5 ) is also much broader and shorter as in both known species with armed femora from southeastern China (L. cooteri Schawaller, 2008 from Jiangxi and Fujian, L. hlavaci Schawaller, 2008 from Jiangxi).

Etymology: Named after Hong Kong, where the type series was collected.

Ecology: Extreme dates for imago, 14th May to 13th November, with the vast majority of specimens collected from June to July, and no records for August to October, when the leaf litter is dry (most likely due to observer bias). Paler specimens were collected from May to July corresponding to the wet season, indicates the adults emerge in the wet season months. All specimens were caught by Winkler extractor or pitfall traps from leaf litter in wooded areas above 100 m altitude.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Dorsal view and aedeagus of Laena species. 1 L. hongkongica sp. n., ♂ holotype SMNS. 2 L. ovipennis Schuster, 1926, ♀ holotype BMNH. 3 L. walkeri sp. n., ♂ holotype SMNS. 4 L. ovipennis, non-type Zhejiang SMNS. 5 L. hongkongica sp. n., holotype SMNS. 6 L. walkeri sp. n., holotype SMNS. Scales: 2 mm (1 – 3), 1 mm (4 – 5).